Interlocking means for use in the construction of concrete reenforcement frames and other analogous purposes



June 16,1925. I 1,542,492

C UETT INTERLOCKING MEANS FOR .052 Ill!!! CONSTRUCTION OF CONCRETE REBNFORCEKENTUFR MES ANDDTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES iled Feb. 27, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Junenlfi, 1925 UETT G. E. IN'I'ERLOCKING MEANS FOR USE IN E'CONSTRUG'IION 0F CONCRETE REENFORCEMENT FRAMES AND OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES Filed Feb. 27, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [www.-

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Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE EDWARD CLUETT, or EISOM, AUCKLAND, ZEALAND.

INTERLOCKING MEANS roa USE'IN THE CONSTRUCTION or CONCRETE annnroncn- MENT FRAMES AND OTHER ANALOGOUS ruarosns.

Application filed February 27, 1924. Serial No. 695,493.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE EDWARD CLUETT, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Great South Road, Epsom, Auckland, in the Dominion of New Zealand, have invented new and useful Improvements in Interlocking Means for Use in the Construction of Concrete Reenforcement Frames and Other Analogous Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has been devised especially in order to provide means whereby intersecting members, or abutting members,-or connecting members, of reenforcement frames for ferro-concrete constructions may be locked together in an expeditious and se- The means are, however, adaptable for use in other analogous, operations. I

The invention consists in the employment ofa spring link clip of special design shaped to encircle the two members to be locked together, combined with a key member in serted in the clip and so shaped that when rotated on its own axis for one quarter of a turn, it will bind the clip tightly around the members, andlock them together in the desired manner.

The invention will be hereinafter more fully described in relation to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an end view of a joint. formed by two frame members crossing at right angles, and employing one type of clip.

Figure 2 is a side View, and

Figure 3 a plan thereof.

Figures at and 5 are plane and side elevation of the link from which the said clip is formed.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the formed clip.

Figure 7 are detail views of the key member.

Figure 8 is an illustration of the manner of using the joint. in connecting a truss member with two main members.

Figure 9 1s a view illustrating one way in which two cross members may be tied together by means of the key member and a separate clip on each member.

Figure 10 is a side elevation, and

Figure 11 a plan illustrating a joint formed by two crossing members, but employing an alternative form of the clip.

having its two ends overlapping, as,

shown, and doubled over across its middle, so as thereby to afford recesses in its loops B and C (Figure 6) crossing each other at right angles. The doubling over of the link, may however, be made on the twist so that the recesses B and C will assume other angles to one another than right angles and thereby adapt the clip for connecting members crossing one another at other angles.

I In the use of the clip, asshown in Figures 1-3, one member D of the reinforcement frame is laid within the loops B of the clip and the other member E is then passed across it through the loops C. The clip is then tightened around these members so as to close in upon them, by the use of a key F inserted between either of the loops and the member therein. This key is made of a cross sectional shape such as to provide a greater and a lesser axis or diameter, as for instance in the examples'shown in Figure 7 It is adapted to be inserted within the clip in a position such that. its lesser or minor axis extends in the line of the length of the clip and when in such position is designed to hold the clip looselyupon the members. The key is then given agreater turn on its longitudinal, axis so that its quarter or major axis is turned into the line of the clip length and thereby draws the clip tightly around the members D and E and binds them together. By reason of the link from which the clip is made having its ends loose and overlapping, the clip will be capable of springing out to allow of this turning of the key member, and then by its resiliency retaining the key in the turned position. I

In alternate form the spring clip may be formed from a U shaped staple bent into 8 form longitudinally, as shown in Figures 10 and 11. In this case one member D of the joint is laid across one bend of the S and the other member E laid in the end loop formed in the staple end, and across the said member ID. The key F is then inserted across the member E within the other 3 bend of the clip and turned to tighten the whole clip around such member. The construction of the clip in this manner will obviate the necessity of threading the frame members longitudinally through the clip, incidental to the use of the closed link clip.

If desired, the key F maybe formed with notches f (Figure 7) at intervals in its length at one end of its major axis, so that when turned to the locking position the notches, by engagement with the clip loops, will prevent any longitudinal sliding of the key.

In the manner of using the clip for connecting two members extending in the same plane, as shown in Figure 8 and suitable in the circumstances illustrated, or in other analogous circumstances, as for instance the locking together of the overlapping ends of two members extending longitudinally with one another, the two members to be locked are laid one upon the other within one of the loops of the clip and the key F threaded across within the other loop. and operated in the manner described so as to cause its major axis to be turned lengthwise in the loop to draw the clip tightly around the members and the key.

This manner of use of the clip and lock may be adapted to many other analogous purposes, as for instance for use in the at tachment or the cables carrying telegraph and telephone wires to the carrier wires.

In the manner of use of the key F shown in Figure 9, the respective frame members D and E are arranged to cross, and each one is provided with a separate clip encircling it, but a common key is used for both clips. This key is made in two portions each forming one end thereof, and twisted so that their respective minor and major axes are at right angles to one another. Consequently the key ends may be inserted in the respective clips across the corresponding members with their major axes parallel with the planes of the said members and then given the quarter turn by which the both ends will be turned to cause the major axes to extend at right angles to such planes, thus locking both clips at the same time. In this case the key itself forms the binding member of the joint.

The manner of use shown in Figures 12 and 13 is a development of that shown in Figure 8 and provides for the truss members G of a column reenforcement consisting of four main corner members 11, being locked to such main members by keys F extending across at right angles to the trusses G and into the clips upon the respectively opposite members and thus for such keys forming themselves the trusses for the opposite sides of the square framing to that'on which the trusses G are situated.

I claim p An interlock for fastening together the members of concrete reenforcements and analogous constructions, comprising a clip consisting of an elongated, open, spring metal link bent into double loop form with its loops arranged at angles to each other and adapted to straddle the respective members to be fastened; and a key laid across within one loop and formed of such crosssectional shape as to have intersecting major and minor axes of diiierent lengths, whereby said key may be given a quarterturn about its longitudinal axis so as to bring its major cross-sectional axis into the line of the clip length and thus tighten the loops upon said members; said link having its ends loose and overlapping, so that it will be capable ofspringing out to permit the turning of the key and then retaining the key in turned position by its resilience.

In testimony whereof, I afiix-my signature.

GEORGE EDWARD CLUETI.

Vitnesses V DAVID BROWN HUTTON, J OSEPH STANLEIGH MoAvnN. 

